21 June 2021 / Juli Lami Copy actual URL Facebook share Twitter share

Fröccs, the eternal summer hit

It’s no exaggeration to say that the mere existence of fröccs, aka wine spritzer, reveals a great deal about the Hungarians. Ingenuity, openness to simple innovations, the creation of something cool from two other things and, of course, the diversity of concepts making up its name are all things we can be proud of. And although drinks like fröccs do exist elsewhere too, we can certainly call it an unofficial hungarikum.

Although fröccs has undergone a tremendous renaissance in the last few decades and has become a trendy drink for both the ruin pubs and the younger generations, its history goes back much further and is also much loftier. Literally, since the word itself was invented by Mihály Vörösmarty, who didn’t like the word spricc, from German, and laid the literary foundations of the genre in a voluminous poem, The Song of Fót (Fóti dal).

 

WHAT HAS BEEN MISSING FROM THE TEXTBOOKS

“Upward rise within the cup,

Pearly beads,

Naught can stop it, as each globe

Upward speeds;

Skyward let all things ascend

Pure and white.

Leaving on the earth beneath

Dross and blight.”

And why Vörösmarty? A well-known legend provides the answer to this question. It is said that on 5 October 1842, during the harvest, András Fáy invited Mihály Vörösmarty and some other friends to his cellar in Fót. This illustrious group also included Ányos Jedlik, who, although primarily known as an electricity scientist, also came up with the idea of using soda water on a large scale (contrary to general belief, he didn’t actually invent it). The scientist introduced the then completely unknown object, the soda bottle, quite theatrically, when he unexpectedly squirted some soda water into the wine he was holding during the gathering. In fact, this was the moment that fröccs, which Hungarians still love so much, was born. At first, Ányos Jedlik called this drink combining wine and soda water a spricc, but then the poet had a better idea. This is how the word fröccs was born, and it’s actually more than just a word, it’s also a vibe!

Lady drinking fröccs on the Kisfaludy-ház terrace in Badacsony, 1936 (Fortepan)

The basic idea of spritzer, where wine is diluted with water, was not invented during the Reformation, as the ancient Greeks and Romans already diluted their wine with water. According to some sources, the ancient Greeks considered those who drank wine undiluted barbarians, while the Romans believed that everyone from slaves to the nobility deserved some daily vinous refreshment. Of course, these wines were diluted with still water, carbonated water was not even on the distant horizon at that time.

 

THE PINNACLE OF LINGUISTIC ARTIFICE

The Eskimos are said to have about forty words for snow, so there are many ways in which they can nuance exactly what kind of snow it is. We Hungarians also have this ability, only we like to nuance the different types of fröccs. You need to be on your toes, even when you’ve just woken up, as to what the correct proportions of wine to soda water are in the viceházmester through the Krúdy Fröccs to the macifröccs. Although it’s a fairly simple drink, actually a two-component cocktail, the number of variations is almost infinite.

Fröccs thesaurus

From our greatest poets and writers to people on the street, everyone is happy to name a new variation. Attila József, for example, called the kisfröccs (small fröccs) a fütty (whistle) as it could be made as quick as a whistle, while the nagyfröccs (large fröccs) is also known as hajtás (propulsion), as Ference Móra said “it can be downed with just one propulsion”, i.e. downed in one. One of the most peculiar drinks is the Krúdy fröccs, which consists of 9 dl (900 ml) and 1 dl (100 ml) of soda water, which the writer himself summed up as “water makes wine laugh”. The origins of the various names could form the subject of an entire academic study, but let’s get back to the point, that is, the secret of what makes a good fröccs, since there are a few rules to be followed here./p>

 

WHAT TO BEAR IN MIND TO ENSURE THE BEST EXPERIENCE

1.

It is a mistake to believe that you can improve poor wines with a splash of soda water. Poor wines will result in poor fröccs.

2.

But that’s not all. The ideal fröccs, basically because you usually drink it in summer, is best cold. So, the wine should be chilled to a little colder than usual, 5-7°C, as, of course, should the soda water.

3.

A fröccs will also not show its best side unless you drink it from the right glass. Fröccs is most delicious served in wine glasses.

4.

Fröccs can be made with soda water, so save the mineral water for other occasions.

5.

And which wines are worth making fröccs from? The wine should be fruity, white or rosé, and should boast vibrant acidity. Olaszrizling, Pinot Gris, Kéknyelű and Kékfrankos rosé make excellent choices, but various blends also work well with a splash of soda.

+1.

And you can call it whatever you feel like and even make a toast with it!

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